The crowd of 70,000 or more expected for today’s Belmont Stakes will include a squadron of Secret Service agents assigned to protect a pair of VIP guests: former President Bill Clinton and his wife, New York’s junior senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Clintons were invited to attend by NYRA chairman of the board Barry K. Schwartz. Mrs. Clinton will present the Belmont trophy to the winners after the race. Neither Bill nor Hill came to the Belmont last year, when one of the top contenders was named Impeachment.